Weblogs

On this page… (hide)

  1. 1. What is a Weblog
  2. 2. Why Use Blogs in Education?
  3. 3. How to - Systems
    1. 3.1 Wordpress
  4. 4. How to - classroom
    1. 4.1 Setting up blogs
    2. 4.2 Classroom organisation
  5. 5. Blog Safety
  6. 6. Further Reading

1.  What is a Weblog

From wikipedia -

‘’A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting) and are part of a wider network of social media. Micro-blogging is another type of blogging which consists of blogs with very short posts.’‘



  • A blog is an easily up-datable page or set of pages on the web.
  • It can be updated without any knowledge of html through a web based interface.
  • No software is needed other than a web browser.
  • The pages consist in the main of a series of articles, the most recent at the top.
  • Previous articles are archived and can be searched.
  • In addition the articles are available as a RSS feed.


more definitions on define:weblog - Google Search

2.  Why Use Blogs in Education?

For many of the same reasons you would have a static website.

A static website involves a fair bit of work and distances children from the publishing process. Weblogs allow children to become more directly involved in the publishing process without delving into time consuming html skills.

Allow children to ‘write the web’ as opposed to reading it.

It is another wall display

To give the children a wider (one of the widest) audience for some of their work, increase their sense of ownership and responsibility of their work and gain feedback and co-operation from others. Working in small groups on a shared text encourages peer feedback and co-operation.

Hopefully it should inform parents and even allow children to understand aspects of class life. Scanning down the blog show a surprisingly wide variety of activities recently covered.

For many children working on the computer still has motivational value and this is surely increased by the fact that we are publishing for the world.

3.  How to - Systems

3.1  Wordpress

Wordpress Tutorials from swict.com 18 lessons on using wordpress.com each lesson is a short video tutorial that only takes a few minutes to view.

edublogs.org is the largest education community on the internet. The site has lots of help including Videos and 10 ways to use your edublog to teach.

4.  How to - classroom

4.1  Setting up blogs

4.2  Classroom organisation

5.  Blog Safety

6.  Further Reading